Robert Emmett Riera

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Robert Emmett Riera, Commander, U.S. Navy, for extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Bomber and Squadron Commander in Bombing Squadron TWENTY (VB-20), embarked from the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE (CV-6), during action against units of the Japanese Fleet in waters west of the Central Philippine Islands during the Battle for Leyte Gulf on 24 and 25 October 1944. On 24 October, leading his squadron on a search and attack mission when an enemy task force was sighted and his division was assigned the Japanese battleship MUSASHI as a target, Lieutenant Commander Riera defied the withering barrages of antiaircraft fire to lead his division low over the hostile warship and release his bombs at perilously low altitude to score direct hits which started fires and contributed materially to the infliction of extensive damage on the Japanese vessel. The following day he again led his division against an aircraft carrier in the face of a withering barrages of antiaircraft fire to dive low over the hostile warship and release their bombs at perilously low altitude to score direct hits which started fires and contributed materially to the infliction of extensive damage on the Japanese vessel. His superb airmanship, inspiring courage and unwavering devotion to duty reflect the highest credit upon Lieutenant Commander Riera and the United States Naval Service.